Ping!

My Whatsapp gives a notification. It must be from my family’s Whatsapp group.

My aunt shares another hoax! It’s been happening for ages, and this time I think I need to speak up and say something.

Here are my tips on how to respectfully correct our family members — especially those older than us — when they share fake news:

Greet them politely

Before you say anything to them, greet them politely. I always go with “Hi, my beloved auntie. Thank you for the information, I really appreciate it. But from what I read, that’s not true.”

Tell them the facts

After you greet them, share the facts. You can share the links to credible information that comes from the news or from a government’s official website, or you can just screenshot them and send them to the group.

Give your reasons

If they are mad at you, tell them that you do not mean to embarrass them, you just think that it's important to spread correct information because hoaxes could lead to panic and a worse situation.

Say thank you and give your respect

After you give the facts and your reasons for why you need to counter the hoax, always tell them thank you for listening to you and that this won’t change your respect towards them.

These tips have always successfully helped me stop the spreading of hoaxes in my family chats without hurting anyone’s feelings, while also spreading facts.